Steel Horse
by TekniCAL
Summary: A Sawyer-esque Eric rides into town to meet The Girl, with her own secret, that could change everything...That is if they can trust 1 another. Inspired by Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead or Alive. M for lang. & situations; some lemony goodness later on! AH/AU/OOC
1. Steel Horse

**A/N:** Since the Cowboy Up Contest, I have been consumed by thoughts of Cowboy Eric. Except I'm a city gal, so it's always Urban Cowboy Eric. This idea came to me while we were out cruisin' the highway this weekend. The contest ends Dec 10th. You can check out all the entries here: fanfiction(dot)net/community/Eric_Sookie_Cowboy_Up_A_one_shot_contest/75371/14/0/1/

**Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters are the intellectual property of Charlaine Harris. Some wording has been parsed from various Sookie books. _Wanted Dead or Alive_ belongs to Bon Jovi. I only own my obsession and my crazy brain.

This is un-beta'd so all mistakes in grammar and punctuation are my own. For your listening pleasure, visit: http://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=k99h5aikc4g

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_It's all the same, only the names will change_

_Everyday it seems we're wasting away_

The roar of my Harley echoes off the surrounding trees as I make my way down the highway. I've traveled many miles and need a place to stop and rest. The sign for Bon Temps, LA grabs my attention on the highway just as I was contemplating a place to crash for the night. Population 8,050…sounds like the perfect place for a drifter like me.

Merlotte's is the first place I notice riding into town. It looks like any other whole-in-the-wall bar-- The perfect stop for someone like me…someone who needs a few beers, some greasy food and maybe an easy woman to catch a ride home with for the night. And likely there are no town police hanging around.

Down-shifting my hog, I give the engine a few extra revves to announce my arrival. I glide into a parking spot right in the front by the door. That way I have an easy exiting strategy, should the necessity arise. I'm no stranger to bar fights, feisty women or the occasional nosey cop, so it's best to be prepared.

_I walk these streets, a loaded six string on my back…I play for keeps, 'cause I might not make it back_

I lock down my bags and make sure my six-string is strapped tight to the back of my seat. You'd have to have a death-wish to mess with my bike or my guitar.

I saunter into the little backwoods dive and grab a seat at an empty booth in the middle of the row of tables lining the exterior wall. It has a window view so I can keep an eye on my baby. This hot little blonde piece immediately appears at my side. "Hi there, I'm Sookie, what can I get ya?" she drawls in the sexiest southern belle voice I've heard yet. Maybe it's because it has been weeks since I last got laid, but this little lady has me sporting wood before I can even take in all of her beautiful bounty. And what ample proportions she has… substantial rack, strong looking legs and wispy waistline. Nice.

"Well aren't you sweet," not meaning her character. I give her a thorough eye fuck while she is obviously thinking about how to respond. The ladies usually get hot for me with that act alone.

"Not especially," she replies. I stare at her stunned for a moment at her sharp response and then laugh out loud. Well isn't she full of surprises. "I'm Eric and I'll take whatever you have on draft."

She quickly retreats to the bar and brings back my beer. "Let me know if you'd like anything else," she says with a nod and turns to leave. "Oh, I will," I reply with a wink.

Yes, this one will be _mine_ by the end of the night.

_Sometimes you tell the day_

_By the bottle that you drink_

_And times when you're alone all you do is think_

After enjoying a greasy Burger Lafayette and a couple of shots of bourbon, I stretch out in my booth, beer in hand, to enjoy some people watching. Being a master at the art of persuasion and deception, any time I have to further my studies of human behavior, I like to indulge in it.

I envision myself as a sociologist doing field research for my latest publication. You see, I'm a con man by trade. Traveling from place to place, I seek out my next victim or what I prefer to think of them as, opportunities or simply a meal ticket. Sometimes they are men, but mostly I prey on women. I select them for their weakness, probing them for what they have to offer and then deciding what my tastes are at the moment. They are always attractive: physically, personally, financially or hopefully all three.

It might be money I require or it might be property, like that beauty of a bike I have parked out front. But whatever it is I desire, it always involves sex. Lots of sex. And in their weakened state, they give it freely. It's almost too easy. Some even offer without even being asked. Pathetic creatures that have the need to feel special by exploiting what they can from me-- mutually beneficial, really. I'm just another form of therapy. Some use retail therapy or psycho-therapy. I'm con-man therapy. Ha!

Ahh, moments like these, when I'm coming off my latest conquest, I like to sit back and think what got me here. I strategize about where and who should be my next target. And of course, due to some legal troubles, I have to make sure I stay under the radar, as well as take into consideration where I'm still wanted.

But I don't dwell on it too long because that just stirs up repressed emotions. And I don't like having feelings.

_I been everywhere, and I'm standing tall_

_I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all_

Two men waltz into the bar, like Mutt and Jeff. One was about average height (under six feet), thick brown hair combed straight back and brushing his collar, and his long side burns were curiously old-fashioned. The other had a clean shaven head that had a dull gleam from the lights of the bar. He was taller than me, so easily over six and a half feet tall. His arms and shoulders were ropes of muscle, and he was showing off a dark tan with his plaid sleeveless shirt.

They walked right up to Sookie and started harassing her about something. Everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing to watch the exchange between the trio.

I started getting edgy, putting my beer down and flexing my hands into tight fists. This did not look good. I did not like the way these two were talking to _my_ woman. She is _mine_ and she _will_ be mine.

I've been to a lot of places like this one and I've seen this type of thing play out a million times. Could be they are having some lovers quarrel or maybe some dispute over drugs and money. Although I highly doubt either is the case. _One more minute I'll wait before I go over and introduce myself_, I think.

Just then the big guy grabs her by the arms and starts to drag her towards the door with the smaller guy behind her. _Oh no you don't!_

I jump up, and cross the room in three strides. I stop by the goofy old-fashioned one and demand them to leave her alone. But the big guy will have none of that and releases my Sookie too quickly, causing her to tumble back into the other one. He steps a little closer to me, puffing his chest out while looking me up and down, probably sizing me up.

"No Quinn. Stop this right now. You're embarrassing me and you have no right coming in here acting like this!" she ordered. Again, she surprises me with her feisty spirit, willing to stand up to this animal.

"Yes _Quinn_, I recommend you leave this lady alone and be on your way," I command, leveling a cold stare at him. I've been in a thousand bar fights and I've rocked them all.

"Why don't you just mind your own business there, Jack," Quinn replies instantly.

"Now boys, let's just settle down. Y'all were just leaving, right Quinn, Bill…" Sookie pleads looking to old-fashioned man. She places her hands against Quinn's chest and gives a little push obviously wanting nothing more than for them to get out of this place.

But Quinn had other ideas. He takes her hands off his chest and pushes her aside to get into my face. _Bad move brother. No more playing around._ I give him my best right hook, connecting with the left side of his jaw. _What a dumbfuck. He didn't even see it coming._

He stumbles backwards probably, seeing stars. I grab Sookie and give her a hard kiss on the mouth, then release her and go after Quinn. _Bowling for rednecks_, I think while glaring at that smooth, shiny head that will soon be lying on the floor.

After sparring for a few minutes, it seems everyone is involved and a little skirmish has turned into an all out brawl. Someone must have called the police because I hear sirens screaming towards the place.

I look around for Sookie, who seems to be doing the same. She runs towards me and says, "You need to get out of here. They'll surely blame this all on you, not being from around here." _No shit_.

"Do you have any suggestions?" I say, with a waggle of my eyebrows. Hey what can I say? I'm opportunistic.

Sighing, she says "Eff it." She takes her apron off, throws it on the floor, grabs my hand, and drags me out the door. I hop on my Harley and fire her up. Sookie hesitates, looking at me and biting her lower lip. Making a snap decision, she climbs on the back and wraps her delicate arms around my body, holding on tight.

She leans into my ear and whispers general directions of where to go. Her hot breath on my skin and the adrenaline of the fight has me hard as a rock as we blow past the police cars that are skidding to a stop on the gravel parking lot. _That was close._

_I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride_

_I'm wanted dead or alive_

We arrive at an old farmhouse that is in need of a few repairs. "This is my family's place. My Gran left it to me when she died about six months ago. No one should bother us here. They'll be too busy cleaning up from the fight," Sookie explains as she unlocks the back door and invites me inside.

I'm on her instantly, giving her my best toe-curling kiss. I've had years of practice in the art of osculating. She just melts in my arms, so I left up her legs and wrap them around my waist. Holding her firmly by the ass cheeks, I break our lip lock. "Bedroom," I choke out. She just grabs either side of my face, bringing me back to her lips and points in a proximate direction towards the front of the house.

I take her several times that night. She leaves me breathless. I am devastated by her beauty. She is simple and pure yet intoxicating.

I find myself staying with her for a number of weeks, losing track of time and purpose.

Eventually she questions me about my past. I hesitate in telling her the truth because I know she won't like it. I honestly feel like a changed man and like who I have become in spite of myself. She makes me feel like I could be a good person again. She makes me want to be a better man. I no longer feel the need to be deviant. I have all I could ever want in her. But I also feel I can't lie to her either.

So I explain to her about my past. We have a huge argument. The next couple of days are harrowing. I'm crushed. I'm pissed. I'm edgy. My fight or flight instincts kick in and I feel it's time to move on. Except now she knows my secrets. Do I trust her with the knowledge of my own weaknesses or do I tie up loose ends?

_Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days_

_And the people I meet always go their separate ways_

I war with myself over killing her and ending it all. I would never have to think about her again. Thinking about her has become an annoying habit and if I'm to survive, I should be rid of it and rid of her. But I can't bring myself to harm her. I discover I have feelings for her. _I hate feelings._

Several more days pass and I think maybe she'll come around. But she just keeps pushing me away from her no matter what I try. I fight with myself over what I should do. I'm not one to give up and I always get what I want.

My sleeplessness gives me the answer I seek. We just need to go our separate ways.

I pack up my things in the early hours before dawn, pausing to watch her laying there, so peaceful and unaware. She looks like an angel as her chest swells then falls in the steady rhythm of sleep. I take a few of her Gran's valuable things that are lying around. Some as mementoes, some to pawn later down the road and then…I ride.

_Because I'm a cowboy, I got the night on my side_

_I'm wanted dead or alive_

_And I ride, dead or alive_

_

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**A/N:** So this is darker than anything I've written thus far, so let me know what you think. I was trying to draw a parallel between Vampire Eric and this Eric. If V.E. were to go back to his ways, wouldn't they be dark and twisty too? So, I said this was complete, but I'm actually thinking it needs at least one more chapter if your interested. Leave me a review and tell me what you liked or maybe what you didn't like and if you'd like another chapter. Thanks for reading.


	2. Tale to Tell

**A/N:** Here is Sookie's story that coincides with Eric's. Again it is dark and mentions in passing the history with Uncle Bartlett, so if you are sensitive to this subject matter, you may want to skip the fifth paragraph.

**Disclaimer:** Please see first chapter covering characters. The song I used and referenced in this chap. is _Live to Tell_ by Madonna. You can check it out here, if you are not familiar with it:

http://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=pvaId8X4GGY

I do not own/claim any rights to that.

Again, this was un-beta'd so all mistakes are my own. Oh and my apologies to Obs3ss3d...there is still no gratuitous sex scene! Maybe next story! Lol.

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_I have a tale to tell_

_Sometimes it gets so hard to hide it well_

I have a secret that is being held over my head and it's getting harder and harder to keep it just that, a secret.

My parents died when I was young. And even though she had already raised her own children, my Gran took on the task of providing for me and my brother as if we were her own. She didn't even let it show how much of a hardship it really was, god bless her. She stood by us through thick and thin, trying to instill in us the hardcore values that make someone a good, god-fearing Christian.

I always tried to be a person who could follow the rules of the Holy Bible, but I just had so many things go wrong in my life, that it was hard. With my parents dying when I was young, to a much darker thing of betrayal and broken trust…I couldn't imagine a God that would make such a young, innocent live through such horrible things.

You see at the tender age of 5, my Uncle Bartlett, my Gran's brother, decided he would be the 'Funny Uncle' and try dirty things with me. Apparently he had tried this stuff with other girls in my family too, including my Aunt Linda. But nobody bothered to do anything real about it. My mother didn't believe me when I told her, saying that I must have a filthy mind or that I had seen something in the library that I wasn't ready to understand. I told my father, but he died before he could react to the news. My Gran didn't believe her brother would do such a thing, but eventually shut him out of her life.

_The truth is never far behind_

_You kept it hidden well_

That wasn't good enough for me. The truth ate me up inside and made me an outsider to all the other kids my age at school. I came to be known as 'Crazy Sookie'. Most kids stayed away from me except my best friends Tara and JB. Eventually Bill moved to town and became the only boyfriend I knew. Because he was an outsider, he didn't have the same misconceptions about me as everyone else and he was the only other person I told besides Tara about my uncle.

When I was about 16, I decided the only way to be rid of the guilt and shame I felt about what happened was to end the life of the man who made me feel that way. He was older now and feeble. He had prostate trouble and used a walker.

I let Bill in on my plan. It might not have been the wisest idea, but hind sight is always 20-20. But I needed an alibi and I actually wound up needing his help too.

My uncle lived in Shreveport, so I needed reliable transportation to and from his home. The plan was to go there, break-in and make it look like a burglary, even though the man surely didn't have a penny to his name.

When we got there, creepy ol' Uncle Bartlett was wide awake as if he were waitin' for us. He put up quite a verbal fight, "insisting to the end that I had initiated and continued the sick activities he thought was so gratifying." (A/N: taken from p. 173, DUD). That just made it easier to do what we came to do and we did it. We drove right home and no one ever suspected anything other than what we had set out to make it look like. I felt a surge of—freedom. Except that I also knew the truth about what had happened. So then I had a new secret to hide.

_I was not ready for the fall_

_Too blind to see the writing on the wall_

As with all secrets and because it wasn't only mine, the truth leaked out. Bill told his best friend Quinn. If that fact that the truth had been revealed wasn't bad enough, it was who Quinn was that made it worse. Quinn was one of those kids born to be in trouble. He had a record before he was 12 and went to prison when he was 18 for killing the man who raped his momma. Now I understand more than anyone about that kind of crime, but Quinn freely bragged about it to anyone who would listen. Taking a life is not something to be proud of.

While in prison, he got caught up in one of those popular prison gangs…some brotherhood or another. When he got out, his new career involved raising money for his little fellowship by doing all sorts of lascivious things, like dog and cock-fighting in the pits and even some bare-knuckle brawling. Basically anything that involved fightin', money and drinkin', in that order.

So once Quinn found out about our dirty little secret, it wasn't long before he started trying to blackmail me. First it was just getting Gran and me to cook for his crew or using our property to hold their pit fights, but after Gran died and I no longer had to keep up appearances for her sake, so he tried to get me to do other things.

And that's what he and Bill were up to that faithful night in Merlotte's, when my knight in shining armor appeared.

_I know where beauty lives_

_I've seen it once, I know the warm she gives_

That man was a god on earth if there ever was one. He came waltzing into the bar with that long blond hair of his, blown around his face, I guess from riding in on his motorcycle. He had on a denim shirt, a cream colored suede vest that looked softer than a baby's bottom and the finest, tightest jeans I've ever seen on a man. Even his shoes were fine, in the matching color of his vest. It was as if he dressed to show off each of his greatest attributes. I would daresay he was almost predatory, seeking out the finest species of female for his next meal.

Of course he sat down in my section and made me all bumbling and stumbling. I just couldn't help myself. Anyone in my position would have at least ogled a little.

We kind of flirted back and forth for a bit and then all hell broke loose when dumb and dumber walked in. Quinn was trying to get me to leave with them and go to some pit fight where he wanted me to be the ring girl. You know, those girls that prance around in nearly nothin' hold cards indicating which round it is? Yeah, like hell I was going to do that! And thanks to my new friend Eric, I didn't have to.

And when someone called the police, I really didn't have much choice in the matter other than to get him out of there and fast. The only place I could think of to take him was to my place. Now that Gran was gone, it's not like I have to ask for anyone's permission. And the heat radiating from my girly parts was certainly looking forward to the prospect of getting this man alone.

It didn't surprise me at all when he pounced on me, once we made it inside. Between the adrenaline of fighting and escaping the police, to just our flirting and automatic chemistry, it was all I could do to keep my hands off him. I felt a little degraded, having such a craving – for a man. But I could tell the feeling was mutual. It was like he was reading my mind!

His lips were so sweet and his body would nearly bring a tear to your eye due to its perfection. And if there was an international butt competition, he would clearly be the big winner! He kissed as if he had a thousand years of experience. I didn't want to let his mouth go!

But his mouth did other marvelous things too, things Bill never dreamed of being able to do. Being so much taller than Bill, Eric was equally proportionate in other areas as well. In my inexperience, I never stopped to consider that one's anatomy was typically in even distribution. It had me a little worried when I first laid eyes on it, but Eric was nothin' if not a gentle man. He was so sweet and attentive, where Bill was usually a little rough and inconsiderate many times.

We spent the next several weeks educating each other on the intricacies of pleasing one another. He was a dream come true. It seemed as though a light was shining inside me. I was consumed with the feelings of warmth and safety every time I was in his presence. It was as akin to love as I've ever felt. Something close, but not quite.

_A man can tell a thousand lies_

_I've learned my lesson well_

_Hope I live to tell_

There _was_ one small thing that was bothering me about Eric. It was the fact that I knew practically nothing about him, yet he had been staying with me for several weeks. So, one night, laying in post-coital bliss, I dared to bring up the subject. He seemed to struggle internally with my questions, which in turn set off my woman's intuition alarm. If a man doesn't want to discuss his past, than you know it must be bad.

I immediately shutdown my feelings and prepared myself for the worst. And it was bad. He admitted he was a con-man, a drifter, swindling people out of their hard earned money or sweet talking them into giving him gifts. He was a gigolo of sorts, using his body and charm as a means to make a living. And he was wanted in several states for stealing and other things he didn't want to discuss.

Even though he was honest in what he told me, I knew he didn't tell me everything. And omission of the truth might as well be a lie, as far as I'm concerned.

As much as I loathed the man I now knew he was, I couldn't be so cold as to tell him to leave – at least not yet. I kind of needed him. Ever since he had been staying with me, Bill and Quinn had left me alone. If he were to leave, there would be no telling what those two would try next, to blackmail me with keeping my secret.

I also understood what it was like to live with yourself knowing that you weren't exactly an exemplary citizen. But I couldn't trust him that was for sure. I didn't even know if all the pillow talk we'd had was even his true words or if they were the words of someone use to lying so much, that he actually believed them at the moment.

What I eventually decided, after taking several days to mourn over my almost lover, was that I would keep the memories of those beautiful days. I wouldn't tarnish them with what-ifs and maybe's. I needed to keep that light inside me, even if it would remain hidden. But he had to go. One way or another, I couldn't stand to even look at him anymore.

I did what a girl with my kind of history and upbringing could. I called in Bill and Quinn and made them a deal. I told them my situation and who Eric was. They told me not to worry and that they would handle everything. So in the early morning hours, just before dawn, I heard him get up and start packing his things. I lay perfectly still, hoping he would think I was still asleep. And once I heard roar of his motorcycle signaling his leave, I made that momentous decision and placed a call to Bill.

_The truth is never far behind…._

_The secret that I hide, will I grow old_

_How will they hear_

_When will they learn_

_How will they know_

_

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**A/N: **So, do you hate me for ending it that way? Hit the little green button and tell me just how much! LOL. Thanks to everyone who PM'd me, favorited this story and/or alerted it. I still feel like a newbie to all this, so your feedback definitely gives me the confidence to publish and not keep it in my disturbed little head. xx_


	3. All Wound Up

A/N: Disclaimer – See first chapter.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, review, alert, and/or favorite my first multi-ch story. This happened quite by accident and all over a ride on my friend's Harley. LOL. Have a great week!

Still un-beta'd, so all mistakes are my own.

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As I was making my way onto the highway, trying to put as many miles between me and Bon Temps, I heard a loud vehicle approaching me from behind. There was some kind of country music blaring and I could here male voices whooping it up. _Maybe I should have waited until sunrise to leave…to avoid all the drunkin' rednecks headed home from the bars._

The next thing I realize is that the truck was now on my ass, nearly touching my back tire. _What the hell? _

I had two choices: I could either pull over and hopefully they would pass by or I could punch it and try to prevent them from running me off the road. I went with option one. Even though I was more than anxious to get away from this place, it was the safest alternative. Or so I thought.

When I pulled over, so did the truck. _So this wasn't just some drunk- tailgating going on_. I turned off my bike and waited to see what kind of game these guys were playing. In my side mirror I saw two guys get out, one the driver and the other a passenger. There was at least one other guy still in the truck. _OK, three against one…I've had worse odds before._

I recognized the driver from the bar fight, the night I met Sookie. It was the tall guy with the bald head, Quinn if I remember correctly. The other guy was not the one who was with him that night, however. They met in front of the truck briefly and then with a big smile on his stupid looking face, Quinn came strutting towards me. I immediately started getting riled.

With all the guilt I had building up over leaving Sookie the way I did, I was ready to release some aggression and if this guy wanted some of it, than I was more than happy to oblige. I sat there on my bike waiting for him to come to me. What I didn't see or expect, was that he had some big pipe or metal rod in his hand and just as he got close enough, he wound up like he was swinging a bat for the home run pitch. Except instead of a baseball, it was my shoulder and the side of my head. Luckily I have fairly fast reflexes and flinched enough to avoid having my head bashed in, but it connected enough to leave me falling off my bike like a sack of potatoes. I slumped to the ground, unconscious.

I woke some time later to cold water being dowsed over my head. As the fog lifted from my brain, I realized I was chained to a chair in the center of someone's basement and three guys were standing off to my left side with their hands crossed over their chest. Although my vision was a bit blurred from my swollen left eye, I could tell it was Quinn, Bill and the guy that I saw before I was knocked out.

"Well, well…it appears sleeping beauty is awake," Quinn chimes in. A fourth voice cackles behind me. I feel a fist full of my long hair being wrapped around a strong hand and my head is yanked back. I'm forced to look into the meanest looking woman's face I have come across. And I've come across some doozies in my day.

"Hello there handsome," Cruella says. I suppose she was trying to sound seductive.

She runs a dirty finger from my temple to my chin. "My, but you _are _handsome. I can see where little Miss Sookie would have fallen for you. But you are such a naughty boy!" She throws her head back in a cackle.

"Yeah! What gives you the right to steal my Gran's things you fucker!" the other guy, who I don't know launches towards me and punches me right in the solar plexus, effectively knocking the wind out of me. I don't care how tough you are, that always hurts!

"Settle down Jason! He's mine first!" she snaps, letting go of my hair and coming around the front of where I'm seated, so that I can get a good look at her. She's of medium height and scrawny, yet I can tell she is solid muscle. Her face is pretty but because she is so mean and aggressive, that takes away any attractiveness she might have going for her.

_Jason._ _That must be Sookie's brother._ I only saw a couple of old photos of him while I was staying with her. She told me that they didn't exactly see eye to eye about things and as far as I could tell, he didn't treat her very well.

_But who is this woman and what does she want? _As if reading my mind, she says "I know you don't recognize me handsome, but you and I have a score to settle."

_Who the hell is she?_ She is too young looking and a little to rough around the edges for my tastes. "I'm Sandra Pelt...name ring a bell, sugar?" she asks in a condescending tone.

_Pelt…Pelt…why does that sound familiar?_ I shake my head no and then wham! She socks me right in the jaw. As if my head isn't ringing enough from the hit I took earlier from Quinn, it surely is now. And if I couldn't recall where I'd heard that name before, I certainly couldn't place it in my present state.

"I'm Debbie Pelt's sister. And you are going to experience a little payback for the pain you caused her," Sandra sneered. "Quinn, bring me the pliers and the duct tape. We wouldn't want the neighbors to hear anything before we've had our fill of fun!" she laughs maniacally.

Debbie Pelt. Yes, now I remember. Two years ago, I met up with her in Mississippi. She was the adopted daughter of some well-to-do business folk in Jackson. I met her in a bar where she was actually there with her fiancé of the moment. But she wound up going home with me that night. I worked her for several months before I walked away with some cash and gifts, all of which she was more than willing to part with. I never hurt her other than maybe breaking her heart. That is, if she really had one. She seemed to be quite the man-slinger when I found her.

"Shouldn't we wait until Sookie gets here?" Quinn asks.

_Sookie?! She was in on this? How? Why?_

"Look Quinn's right. She simply asked me and Quinn to teach him a lesson and to encourage him to never come back to Bon Temps. In exchange for our bit of fun, we wouldn't keep holding the uncle thing over her head and she would come and get her stuff back," Bill says.

"What 'uncle' thing?" both Jason and Sandra ask at the same time. Eric was thinking it as well.

Bill slaps his hand over his mouth realizing he has once again given away way too much. Quinn slaps him on the back of the head, "Way to go big mouth!"

Quinn doesn't know Sandra too well, but he does know her type. She was a friend of one of his 'brothers', who had asked him to give her a place to crash while she was passing through town. He had agreed thinking he could get some action in return for the favor of letting her stay. She definitely seemed the type.

She has been hanging out with their gang for the last several weeks and she seemed to fit right in with everyone. She had taken a shine to Jason and a couple of the other guys, if he wasn't mistaken.

Little did he know that she was actually here tracking the big, blond, bad-ass that had Sookie's attention. Apparently Sandra overheard Bill and his conversations regarding their deal with Sookie. He didn't realize what her real intent was for being there. At first it seemed like a fun thing to involve her and even Jason in their little plan to scare the wayward cowboy into never stepping foot back in Bon Temps, but maybe now is the time for regrets.

He had no idea she was there seeking revenge. And that her revenge had included torture. The thought excited him some when it just included Eric, but now, she seems to have other ideas.

Bill has all but given away any advantage they might have over controlling Sookie considering that everyone else in the room seems to know her secret at this point. He is actually surprised the whole town doesn't know with Bill's inability to keep his trap shut.

Quinn is just a bit unnerved at what Sandra might be thinking. As much as he enjoys toying with Sookie, he is more than a little attracted to her. He might even consider having feelings towards her, if she would just give in a little to his flirtations. He didn't want any harm coming to her that was for sure.

"Now dammit, I want to know what's goin' on! What's this about my sister and this 'uncle' thing?! We only had one uncle and he was kilt by some burglar's a couple of years back…" Jason pauses as if finally putting two and two together.

Eric was still at a loss. What would a dead uncle have to do with Sookie and why would any of these guys care?

"Wait a minute! Are you telling me, sweet little Sookie Stackhouse had something to do with the death of her uncle? And you two idiots have been holding that over her head? Oh! This is just priceless. It feels like I just hit the lottery!" Sandra laughs out. "Seems as though you and your little sweetie are a little more well matched up than I originally thought!" she taunts Eric, rubbing the back of her hand across his swollen cheek.

Jason looks like he's going to be sick. "This just isn't right. What did Uncle Bartlett ever do to Sookie that would make her want to hurt him?" Obviously, Jason was either clueless or just didn't get the extent of the emotional damage Uncle Bartlett's actions caused Sookie.

While they were all standing (and sitting in Eric's case) around absorbing the information that was inadvertently revealed by Bill, the doorbell rang.

"That must be Sookie," Quinn stated. "I'll go let her in. She was going to come by and get her things from Mr. Sticky Fingers over there and make sure we had held up our end of the deal." Off he went up the stairs to let Sookie in.

Eric didn't know how to react. _Did Sookie encourage this obvious torture session? Did she know about Sandra and her plot to extract revenge? And what about her uncle – did she have him killed or was she even involved in it? How could she be so righteous with him about his past when she had her own secrets she was keeping? Secrets obviously big enough, that those two yahoos' could threaten her with revealing them. _

He didn't have long to think all this through though because Sandra was barking orders at Jason and Bill to get another chair ready for their newest 'guest'. Jason and Bill were not going along with this plan.

Even though she was a pain in his ass, Sookie was still Jason's sister and he wasn't going to agree with anyone that had intentions of harming her, no matter how good in bed she was. And Bill was still in love with Sookie – well in his own stalkerish way.

That division was all Eric needed to hear, in order to formulate a plan to get out of this mess. The question was: should he include Sookie in his escape plans?

This looks like a _Battle of One_.

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A/N: Check out 30 Seconds to Mars' Battle of One song through your favorite method of music listening. I consider it Eric's battle cry for the upcoming chapter. Thanks for all your feedback thus far. Do me a favor and give me so more. Do you like where this is going? Hit the green button and tell me what's on your mind!!


	4. Affliction Confliction

**A/N: **_Disclaimer_ is found on chap 1. Thanks again to everyone who is following my first multi-chap story. Hope you'll continue to enjoy. Thanks to _KiraKiralina_ for bringing up a point about Sookie in her review. It inspired me some in this chap. Still un-beta'd, so all mistakes are my own.

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As I placed the phone back in its charging cradle, I was overcome with that nervous butterfly feeling you get in your stomach when you think the shit is going to hit the fan. _What have I just done?_

I was so conflicted over everything. My heart was telling me that I just sent away the only man that I have felt even something close to love for other than my father. I mean, I had told Bill I loved him at some point in our relationship, but it wasn't really the kind of love you feel towards the guy you want to spend the rest of your life with. It was more because he was the first guy to show interest in me and that made me feel special.

If Eric hadn't told me the truth about who he really was, I could have easily lived out the rest of my existence in ignorant bliss with him. But how could I be sure that he wasn't conning me? Not that he could get a lot out of me. My old farmhouse was kind of like a money pit and waitressing at Merlotte's wasn't exactly a six-figure salary earner. My mind just couldn't put the thought away that he could just pick up and leave without notice and take whatever he wanted with him, including my heart. And it wouldn't even bother him to do so -- just another 'day's work' to him.

I couldn't trust him and if you don't have trust in a relationship, what do you have? I also felt like I was trading the days of being blackmailed in for days of just down right being used. At least when I was being blackmailed into doing things, the trade-off was my continued freedom, free of scorn and ridicule from the townsfolk and even free from time in prison I'd likely receive if found out. The only thing Eric offered me in return was some really, really great sex and some very fond memories.

So I had decided to talk to Bill about it. Other than Tara, he really is kind of like my best friend. Even if he is responsible for the whole blackmail thing, I know he at least would never _really_ hurt me. And he offered me a simple way out of my predicament. He said that him and Quinn could simply scare Eric a little and make sure he leaves and never returns. That seemed like a simple enough idea. In return, I would have to continue to cook for all their stupid parties and allow them to use my land for their 'gatherings'. And from time to time maybe let some of them stay in my spare rooms, if the need arose. I made darn sure that I wouldn't be forced into the whole 'ring-girl' thing like Quinn tried on me before.

Last night, I sat on my porch swing looking out at the stars, silently asking Gran for her advice. Then I saw a falling star and thought it was sort of a sign. "Wish I may, wish I might, on this falling star I see tonight. I wish this whole mess would just work itself out for the best…for everyone."

Be careful what you wish for, right? _Boy, did I just get it._ So here I am, sitting at my kitchen table, with my untouched cup of coffee, wishing I could take it all back.

Eric indeed left, before sunrise even, and took a bunch of stuff dear to me (which I fully anticipated), including my heart (which I didn't see coming) with him. And now it had my insides twisting and churning. He only left because I encouraged him to do so. Not verbally mind you. I was too chicken shit for that. But if my none-to-obvious cold shoulder was any indication that I didn't want him around any more, than I didn't know what was. No words needed by me, no sir-ee!

And the deal I made?! Argghh. I started banging my head on the table. Maybe I could knock some sense into myself.

The real conflict I'm feeling is that he actually told me the truth about himself. If he was going to con me, would he have come right out and told me his big secret? I mean, he even admitted that he was wanted by the police in several states. He never said what for, but I got the impression it was more so that I wouldn't get unnecessarily involved and hurt by that knowledge and not that he didn't want me to know because it would change my opinion of him. He certainly didn't seem like a _murderer_ to me (I think I'd know one of those, ha!), so how bad could he really be?

And I'm such a hypocrite. I mean, don't I have the biggest secret of them all? Am I not the one being blackmailed for Christ sake? And I made a deal with the devil(s) just to get Eric out of my life. How is it that one minute I was thankful for Eric's presence because he was keeping _those two_ away from me, the next minute I'm making a deal with _them_ to keep Eric away?! I infuriate myself.

I just need to go to Quinn's and see what they've already done. Maybe Eric will still be there and I can somehow make this all better. But really, who am I kidding. I asked Bill and Quinn to make sure Eric would not want to step foot back in Bon Temps, nor to try and contact me. What did I think that meant? That they were going to take him out for breakfast and sit around sharing town gossip? Those two don't exactly have a knitting circle or book club they attend regularly. In fact Quinn belongs to a _GANG! An honest to god gang -- with drugs and other illegal activities used as their form of entertainment._

How is it that sometimes I can be so brave and loyal and other times I'm nothing but naïve and clueless?

I hurry up and get dressed, throwing my hair into a high ponytail, to keep it out of the way….just in case things get crazy. I hop in my car and speed over to Quinn's. I notice when I pull up that Jason's truck, as well as Bill's older Beemer, are in the driveway. _Tell me they did not get my brother involved in their (our) shit!_

I hurry up to the door and press the bell ringer several times and start pounding on the door. I'm bouncing up and down with nervous energy. _At least I don't hear any screaming…._

I see light bounce off of Quinn's bald head before I actually see him reach the door. _Come on already, let me in!_ He yanks open the door and I push past him into the house.

"Did you do it? Did you catch Eric before he left town?"

"Wow babe, I've never seen you so excited before. Maybe I should offer to scare away your boyfriends more often."

"Quit the shit, Quinn. Tell me what's happening," I said, in no mood for his weak attempts at flirting.

"Well, we did what you asked. Me, Bill and your brother caught up with your con-man early this morning. We got your stuff back and were just about to get down to the part about encouraging him to stay away from Bon Temps. Would you like to join in on the fun?" Quinn's tone was condescending.

"What do you mean? Where is he? Can I see him?" _I need to set things straight if I can_, I add silently to myself.

"Sure. He's down in the basement with Bill, Jason and Sandra right now."

"Sandra?? That crazy lady Jason's been screwin'? What she got to do with this? And what were you thinkin' getting my brother involved?! I asked Bill for help. If I had wanted my brother to know what was going on, I would have asked him!" I snapped.

"Well, Sandra has been staying here with me and the day you called to talk to Bill, he was here and she kind of overheard some of the conversation. It just snowballed from there and now they are all here and there is nothing you can do about it," Quinn was tiring of this conversation and eager to get back down to business. He didn't want Sandra starting with out him. And he was distracted by Sookie's attitude. The fact that she seemed eager to see their captive and being so pissy about it was making him irritable. After all, if it wasn't for her, none of them would be here right now. Not to mention the fact that he didn't know what Sandra had in store for her.

"Listen Sookie, before we go downstairs, you need to know something. Bill kind of let the cat out of the bag about you being involved in your uncle's death. Now Jason, Sandra and probably Eric have all figured it out. I don't know this Sandra chick too well and she already has her own reasons for wanting a piece of Eric. Now she may want to add you in the mix just for fun. I would be real cautious around her, if I were you. I'll do what I can to protect you."

"Bill did _WHAT_? Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! Why don't we just shout it from the roof tops that Sookie Stackhouse killed her uncle and just get it over with already!" At that moment I wanted nothing more than to get out of this place, to leave Bon Temps for good, but I knew I had to face down everyone in that basement, especially Eric. I plastered on my best fake smile, squared my shoulders, stood a little straighter and said, "Let's get on with this. Lead the way…"

As I descended the staircase, I took in the cold surroundings of the basement. Bill and Jason were standing in a corner looking like they were making plans to take over the world, while I spotted Eric chained to a plastic lawn chair. My heart broke instantly. He had definitely been beaten on and the thought made a lump form in my throat.

His left eye was swollen and his hair was matted down with dried blood and dirt. _Damn them! What was I thinking? _ The lump I tried to swallow down just made tears spring to my eyes instead. His beautiful face was contorted with pain. I wanted to run to him and put my arms around him and tell him I'm sorry for this mess I caused. Then I wanted to smack him for stealing my Gran's things.

But snapping back to reality as I reached the bottom step, I saw both he and Sandra shoot me a cold stare, accusing me of awful things without even uttering a single word.

"Well, there she is. The reason we are all gathered here this fine morning," Sandra said with a sneer. "I really ought to be thanking you for handing over such a prize. You have no idea how long I've waited to get revenge on this man for what he did to my sister. And I am truly going to enjoy your help in the process."

"Your bat shit crazy if you think I'm gonna help you with anything!" my tempering flaring. Who the hell did this bitch think she was? "You need to stop this right now and let him go," I demanded. Wheeling around, I looked from Bill, to Jason and then to Quinn.

"You've guys have taken this too far!" I yell, pointing at Eric to emphasize the mess they have made of his beautiful face. "And you! What the hell do you mean to exact revenge? Would did he ever do to you or your sister? Who the hell are you?" sharpening my gaze at Sandra.

Sandra walked back around behind Eric and grabbed his chin, giving it a yank to make him look up at her. "This man murdered my sister in cold blood and then took off with all her money! My family and I have paid countless attorneys, private investigators and even local authorities, to bring him in to get justice and for nothing! Every time one of them got close, he would disappear! So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I've been following him for nearly a year now and really got lucky when I came across this sad lot of you!"

Eric tried to speak, but Sandra had her hand so firm on his jaw and with the pain from getting punched and hit, it just wasn't worth it at the moment.

"Is this true Eric? Did you kill her sister?" I had to ask. I know it's not really my place to point fingers, but if he was guilty of murdering someone who was innocent, just to make a couple of bucks, than he needed to fess up to his crimes and live with the consequences. Although, I'd prefer simply handing him over to the police rather than see him tortured. "Let him speak! Take your hand off him!"

Sandra let go of Eric's chin and crossed her arms over her chest, anticipating his response. Eric looked straight into Sookie's eyes and said, "When I left Jackson, Debbie was alive and well. She was screwing around with some guy named Alcide and we simply went our separate ways. Sure, I took some stuff with me. But it was stuff that Debbie had freely given me. I didn't need to steal anything and I certainly had no reason to kill her."

Sandra, apparently in no mood to hear what she considered lies, slapped Eric on the side of the head. Both of us winced at the same time. "Every criminal claims he's innocent! Give me a break! You were the last one seen with her and you were the only one around with a record and reason to do it." You could hear the distrust in her voice.

Honestly, I had a hard time believing him too, just based on the history he shared with me. There is that trust thing again. He was looking at me with the big blue eyes willing me to believe him. _He was either a really excellent liar or he had to be telling the truth. And there's the whole innocence until proven otherwise thing. If the US government can give that to someone, then so can I._

"What proof do you have Sandra, other than the fact he was the last one seen with your sister?" I had to ask. No one else was jumping in.

"She didn't show up to meet me for dinner one night. I went to her house and found it unlocked. Her car was there, her purse was there and there was blood found leading out the backdoor. Forensics proved it was hers. The police believed she was abducted or murdered then moved. And it had to be someone she knew, with the way things were left."

Eric chimed in, "She knew a lot of people. You should know that. She was engaged when I met her, for god's sake. And she was seeing that Alcide guy on the side while she was with me. There was a line formed out her backdoor for all I could see, so the fact that I was around her doesn't prove a thing. Have you stalked all the other guys she was involved with or just me?"

"Sandra, let him loose. You obviously don't have any concrete proof that Eric killed your sister. Maybe she just got sick of her life and left or maybe someone else decided to do her in. Either way, you have no reason to hurt Eric," I pleaded with her. Then I turned to Eric, "This was all my doing and I'm so, so sorry for getting you into this. Please, y'all just let him go and we'll just forget this ever happened," I was desperate to be done with this mess. The tension in the air was palpable and no one was saying anything.

"Sookie, you are the one that made the deal with us. You asked us to make sure he didn't come back. We told you we would make sure he didn't con another woman and you were satisfied. How we go about doing that is not up to you. You should have thought this all through before you made your little deal with us," Quinn stated firmly. "Besides, it's not like he is NOT guilty of some things. So just consider this his penance for however many other women he's taken advantage of."

Bill and Jason nodded in agreement. _Great. Just great. How am I to get us out of this mess?_

I looked Eric in the eyes for several seconds. They kept shifting towards the stairs, like he was trying to convey something to me. Did he want me to run? Go get help? Who would I get? I couldn't go to the police. That very well may end us all up in jail and that's the last thing I wanted.

I was feeling more than a little sick. The only other person I thought maybe I could trust to call was Sam, my boss. But I needed to get upstairs to a phone. "I think I'm going to be sick. Quinn, where's your bathroom?" It was the best I could come up with at the moment.

"Upstairs, through the kitchen, last door on the right. Don't mind the mess," Quinn quickly gave directions while his attention was focused on Sandra, who was wearing a big smile on her face.

I bolted up the stairs, looking around for the phone, and that's when I heard the sound of things breaking and people yellin'. _Oh hell.

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**A/N:** Next up: Some major ass-kicking. Hope you enjoyed Sookie's POV and it helped explain her actions a bit. I find in the books she often says one thing than does another or is just inconsistent in her actions and I tried to play on that here. Now for some self-pimpage: Tomorrow is the deadline for the **Cowboy Up! Contest**. Stop by and read all the entries and REVIEW! Mine is _**Sedona Sunrise**_. Let me know what you think!

Fanfiction(dot)net/community/Eric_Sookie_Cowboy_Up_A_one_shot_contest/75371/14/0/1/


	5. Sweet Child O' Mine

**A/N:** Hey, yeah, well, I guess last chapter wasn't all that exciting based on the number of reviews it got. But that's OK, because I'm determined to finish the story out the way that it's in my head. So for all of you, who have stuck with me, enjoy the slice or three of citrus I threw your way. I was listening to Guns 'N Roses, Sweet Child O' Mine while writing this. See you at the bottom.

Still un-beta'd, so blame me for the mistakes and _**disclaimer **_can be found on the _**first page of chap 1**_.

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As soon as I heard the doorbell ring, I had a flood of emotions roll through me. I was mostly pissed that I was in this mess because of a woman. I can't believe Sookie sold me out to these guys. Did she know about Sandra all along? How could I have been so stupid to trust her…to have _feelings _for her?

I was pissed that she was now here and possibly in danger because of my past actions. How could I protect her from these people bent on torturing me and possibly her? Did she even need protection or was she here to join in on the fun?

Another part of me was embarrassed that I had been caught in such a trap. Normally I am much more careful. I have spent years doing what I do successfully because I thrive on strategy and being a survivalist. I am only interested in one person and that is me.

At least that was what I always thought until I waltzed into Merlotte's that fateful night and set my sights on Sookie Stackhouse. Since then my world as I made it, has been turned around. For the last several weeks, I only existed to please her and be pleased by her. There wasn't a thing I wouldn't do for her. I even told her the truth about myself, at great personal risk. But I did it because I felt like I could share with her all facets of myself and still be the person she needed me to be-- that despite my flaws, I also had many good qualities.

Apparently I was wrong, wrong about her and wrong about my ability to outshine the bad. She left me no choice but to leave and I did so in the only manner I knew how. But because she had me so distracted, I didn't take the time to properly plan my exit strategy and now I'm stuck in this mess. Luckily I've lived the life I have and I know my odds in the outcome I am envisioning. I just need a little more time to put the chess pieces in place and perhaps a lucky distraction.

And there she is, my lucky distraction, coming down the stairs. Her curvaceous legs appear first as she slowly descends each step. My mind flicks back to when those legs were wrapped around my face and it makes my dick stir just enough to snap me back to the situation I'm in…the situation I'm in because of her, apparently. _Fuck!_ _Focus Northman._

As she reaches the bottom step, I level a cold stare at her, well as much as I can with one eye swollen shut. She is the reason I am here right now and that makes my temper flare. I can't seem to figure her out and maybe I shouldn't even try. I thought she was brave and loyal and it turns out she has a bit of a vindictive streak in her as well. And perhaps something else…with what they were talking about earlier regarding her uncle.

I watch her take in each person's appearance and see sympathy? That's the last thing I needed from her.

Sandra and Sookie start to banter and I can tell she is nervous about the situation. And she should be, given the circumstances. While she tries to convince _someone_ to let me go, I start moving the rest of the pieces in place for my escape. Then she surprises me by asking me point blank if I'm responsible for Debbie's murder. I don't want to get into the logistics of what really happened, so I focus on her direct question and give her the best answer I can without lying. It's the least I can offer to anyone right now and this is not the time to cross that bridge. I just need to get out of here and deal with the rest later.

Finally, everyone says their peace and I can see her forming her own plan. I try to silently communicate to her to get her ass up the stairs and out of my way. She owes me at least that much!

She makes some feeble excuse about being sick and needing the bathroom and bolts up the stairs.

Game On!

It's four against one, but again, I've had worse odds. I don't believe in hitting girls, but Sandra is far from claiming girl status at this point. She is the weakest link, so she is my logical first choice for the taking.

I stand up in my flimsy plastic lawn chair and slam her against the wall with all my strength. I know she is unconscious the minute she slumps to the floor. She barely had a chance to scream or react in any matter. The element of surprise is always good.

Next I take on big and bald. He launches right at my throat, like a tiger taking down a baby zebra. Except _I _am far from a baby zebra. He is so large that once he starts, it is hard for him to slow his momentum. I simply side step him and swing my body around, using the chair as a weapon. I slam into the back of him and he goes flying head first into the same wall Sandra hit. He yells to his buddies for backup as he goes down. The force of my hit on him breaks apart the plastic chair, freeing me of it and my bindings. I stretch out my arms and yell out a battle cry before leveling a kick to his gut.

But Quinn is strong, however and is still in fight mode. He grabs my foot before I can pull it back and I fall to the ground. While he is wrestling with me to get a firm hold on my leg and some sort of an advantage over me, I'm able to get off another jab at his face, hitting him square in the nose. By the sound it makes, I know I've broken it. He let's go of my boot and his hands shoot to his face instinctively to stop the fountain of blood gushing from it.

I hop up and spin around to take on the next two. Jason, Sookie's brother, approaches me first with a piece of 4x4 in his hand. I let him come to me and as he is getting ready to swing, I simply pick him up pro-wrestling style and toss him into Bill, who has just been standing there, as if in shock by the whole scene.

I turn back around to check on Quinn. He is struggling to stand, so I grab the piece of wood that Jason had dropped from his hand when I threw him and give him my _own_ home-run style swing as a little payback for his sneak attack on me earlier this morning and then I fly up the stairs.

Sookie is there, with her back to me, talking to someone on the phone. _Shit! Has she called the police?_ She slams the phone down and turns to face me.

I look around for an exit and spot Quinn's truck out a window apparently facing the back of the house. The backdoor is right behind Sookie. I grab the back of her head and kiss her with such force that I think I might have bruised her lips. The adrenaline from the fight has me excited and I'm anxious to get out of here. _So why not one last good-bye kiss?_

"Move!" I demand, letting her go and pushing her to the side.

"Wait! I'm coming with you!" she says.

I really don't want to argue with her and now is not the time for her to make demands!

"Was that the police you were taking to?" I sneer at her. She simply shakes her head and looks down like she is going to burst into tears. "I was trying to call Sam, my boss, but he wouldn't answer. He was the only person I could think of that might help us out!"

"Us...As in you and your friends?"

"No. As in _you _and _me_. Are you OK? What happened down there?" she asks, looking back up at me, sort of reaching out with her hand to caress me, before taking it back and placing it in her jacket pocket.

"No time for discussion. Do you know where Quinn's keys are? We need to leave, now!"

"Here!" she grabs something off the counter and throws it at me. With my good eye, I'm able to react enough to snatch it out of the air and see that it is indeed a set of keys to a Ford. Hopefully it's to Quinn's truck, because I certainly don't have time to run around the house, trying to figure out which vehicle they go to.

She grabs my arm and says "Let's go!" and leads me out the back door. As I'm running around the bed of the truck to get in the driver's side, I notice my bike laying down in the back. _Perfect!_

I hop in, fire the truck up and speed out the backyard, spewing dirt and gravel everywhere as the ass-end of the pickup kicks out from the torque of the engine. I swing the truck around to the front yard and figure out how to get onto the main road. Looking in the rear-view mirror, I catch a glimpse of Quinn and Bill coming out the front door and heading for a car. _Shit!_

We make our way at break-neck speed, down some back roads that Sookie suggests we use to get us to Shreveport, without being caught by anyone. I'm surprised Quinn and Bill haven't caught up to us yet, but Sookie assures me that this way is the least obvious way, to get to where we need to be.

We figured Shreveport was our best option in the short-term, since it's a more populated area. We can blend in, by hiding in plain sight.

Once we reach the edges of town, we find a less than savory neighborhood to ditch Quinn's truck and continue on with my Harley. Even if those guys were to catch up with us or report Quinn's truck stolen, by the time someone finds it, it will be so stripped for parts that it will be worthless and nearly unidentifiable. Now all we need is a safe place to stop and catch our breath.

We find an underground parking garage by one of the high-rise buildings right in the middle of downtown. I park the bike and we head to a by-the-hour, flea-bag motel. I need a shower to wash the blood from my hair or we won't be blending in anywhere.

Luckily, Sookie's friends never took my wallet when they decided they would strip me of my possessions. I have several hundred dollars in there that would get me through a couple of days or at least to the next town.

Once we check in to the room, I decide it's time to figure out what Sookie's plan is. She walks over to the bed and plops down, hands between her legs and head bowed as if in defeat. I walk over and place my finger under her chin, lifting her head up. I need her looking me in the eyes when we have this conversation.

"So, what's your plan now?" I ask, arching my eyebrow, trying to emphasize the seriousness of our predicament.

"I honestly don't know. It's not like I planned for any of this to happen," she says exasperated. "I thought I knew what I wanted. That I needed for you to be out of my life. And now after everything that has happened, I feel like you are the safest place in the world."

"I'm hardly safe darlin'. I'm a wanted con-man, now apparently also accused murderer, remember?" Obviously I was not going to be getting a straight answer from her. _That's OK. I have bought us a little time to sort this out. Let her sit there and pout. I need a shower._

I let go of her chin and walk towards the bathroom door, methodically striping my clothes as I go. I am completely naked by the time I reach the shower. I turn it on and check out the damage to my face and scalp in the mirror, while I wait for the water to heat up. It's not so bad…nothing I haven't dealt with before. I'll need some aspirin or at least a bottle of whiskey, to numb my pain. It would be nice for some food and a nap, but those are luxuries, I'm not sure we have right now.

I jump in the shower and let the steady beat of hot water relaxed my muscles some. I close my eyes and feel it massage my bruised and swollen face. My left eye stings a bit due to the slight pressure of the spray. _Fuck, what a day!_ I start to reach out for the soap when I feel a cool breeze on my back. "Can I help you with that?" I hear Sookie's sweet voice fill the now crowded enclosure.

I slowly turn around to see her standing there, in all her beautiful glory, holding the little complimentary soap bottle in her hand. "Let me wash you," she whispers, putting some soap in her hands and rubbing them together.

I'm surprised and smirk a little at her brazenness. I let her come to me and she starts rubbing my shoulders, down my arms and across my chest. It gives me chills and gets me hard in an instant. She continues to make her way around my back, down to my ass, which she claims is her favorite part of me. She spends some time there, making sure I'm thoroughly clean. She squats down rubbing my legs all the way to my feet and then slowly back up. Her head stops right next to my dick, which is quivering like a puppy begging to be pet.

Her warm soapy hands make their way up my groin and around to my lower abdomen and she flicks her tongue into my belly button. "Kneel down and I'll wash your hair for you," she says while sliding her hands back up my chest. She places them on my shoulders and gently pushes down, emphasizing her request.

She runs her fingers through my wet hair, pulling them through the tangles and gently working in the soap. She is careful not to rub the skin around my left temple where Quinn's bat connected. As she moves her way around to the back of my head, I find my nose pressed up against the valley between her breasts. She holds my head still for a second and then shifts her body slightly so that each one brushes back and forth, across my face. The pressure from her hands at the back of my head pushes her more firmly against me this time and I respond to her unspoken request by opening my mouth and capturing a nipple as it slides by again.

I wrap my arms around her and bring her body closer into me while sucking, biting and taunting each nipple. If her moans are any indication of her approval, than I know I have silent permission to proceed. I turn off the shower and have us wrapped in towels faster than you can say 'con-man'. I pick her up, bridal style and bring her over to the bed. We fumble for a bit as she tries to pull down the sheets while I just want to throw her down and ravish her. "I'm cold," she moans.

I jump under the sheets with her and give her one of my best toe-curling kisses, while pulling her body into mine. I try to put as much passion and feeling behind it as I can. I want her to know that at this moment, I'm willing to do just about anything for her. She responds by placing her warm, soft hand around my straining erection and gently strokes me.

I kiss her on that special spot behind her ear and run my tongue down her neck to the hollow of her throat. I continue to kiss from there down to her breasts, where I pay special attention to each breast. She thrusts her hips up into me as I softly nip and suck at her tender skin. I snake my hands from her smooth abdomen, down around her round hips and finally in between her thighs where I find her heat and moisture reaching out to me. I let my thumb slide into her folds, seeking out her nub while I start to make my way down with my mouth, placing chaste kisses along the same path my hands just followed.

I hover in front of her soft curls and blow my hot breath where my thumb has been running circles. Again she bucks her hips up to encourage my mouth to settle on the place she wants it most. I am more than eager to please.

I run my tongue between her folds in search of that soft bundle of nerves throbbing to be sucked. When I reach it, she gasps out loud and places her hands on the back of my head, firmly but silently, commanding me where to focus my attention. So, I don't let up, but keep a steady pace of licking and sucking and nibbling, until she can't seem to keep her hips still. She is writhing underneath me so much, that I need to place my forearm across her hips to keep her from tossing me off the bed.

I insert two of my fingers into her drenched core and pump them in and out as her muscles clench around them, on the peak of her climax. I capture her clit between my teeth and flick my tongue 'round and 'round until her body is rocked by an intensity that I envy.

I wait for her breathing to calm before I place myself at her entrance. "Are you ready for me lover?" I ask while rubbing my throbbing head up and down her slit. Sookie can only nod her head yes, still caught up in the emotions of her release. I can barely contain myself from the sight of how beautiful she looks at that moment.

I slowly glide into her wetness, pausing every so often to feel her tightness squeezing against me, stretching to accommodate my size. "Oh, Eric," she sighs, moving her head from side to side, as the sensations threaten to overwhelm her.

Once I'm in to the hilt, I swear I almost cum right then. What this woman does to me…she drives me wild with desire. I start out in a slow rhythm of driving in and out of her. But as I let my mind relax, it starts to drift out to all that has happened in the last couple of days and I find myself getting pissed. I start to pound her harder, faster. I want to punish her for her actions. "You shouldn't have called your friends" I say through gritted teeth.

"I'm…I'm…so..sorrry," she stammers out. I slam into her some more.

"You could have gotten both of us killed today," I hiss, grinding deeper into her.

"Ohhh god...I know, I was wrong," she whispers. I bend my head down and roughly kiss her, taking her lip between my teeth and biting enough to draw a little blood. She gasps at the feeling and tightens her grip around me, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Lover, look at me," I command. She's moaning, crying out and digging her fingernails into my back, but I continue ravaging her until her eyes meet mine. Then I feel her tensing for another release. And that does it for me. As soon as she is calling out my name and I feel her tightness all around me, I have my own good moment and forget everything that just crossed my mind. It's as if my release has also released all the pent up anger and frustration I have felt recently.

I roll to my side in a heap of exhaustion. Placing my arm over my eyes, I sigh, wondering what it is we are supposed to do now. Do I bolt? Will she come with me? Where will we go? How will we get by?

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**A/N:** Well, seems like a good place to stop for now! LOL. Again thanks for all the alerts, favs & PMs. And if you are looking for some more delightful reading, check out my awesome beta's contest, Poppin' Eric's Cherry One-Shot Contest (ending soon so hurry), where virgin writer's get to lose it to Eric…I mean lose their writing cherry.

Link: net/community/Poppin_Erics_Cherry_One-Shot_Contest/75492/99/0/1/


	6. Leverage

A/N: Many thanks to all the fantastic reviews, alerts, favs etc. I've recv'd since last posting. You guys are awesome and it definitely inspires me to write! Disclaimer is found in Chap 1. Song quoted in this Chap is "Wonderwall" by Oasis and I claim no ownership over it. I did think it was appropriate for our favorite couple though.

Lyrics can be found here, if your interested: azlyrics(dot)com/lyrics/oasis/wonderwall(dot)html

I haven't been bothering my beta for this story, because it's the holidays and she has a great contest going on called "Poppin' Eric's Cherry" for virgin writers, so she really has her hands full. I believe it ended last night at the stroke of midnight, but you should still go check out the stories and review.

net/community/Poppin_Erics_Cherry_One-Shot_Contest/75492/99/0/1/

Needless to say, all mistakes here are my own. Enjoy!

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"Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you…By now you should've somehow realized what you gotta do…"

_Who's singing?!_

"Don't stop, whatever you do," I demand. I was just on the verge of another fantastical orgasm and I wasn't going to let some annoying noise break my concentration.

"I think your phone is ringing," Eric says from between my legs. _Captain obvious._

"I don't care right now. And hey! Pay attention! You need to finish what you started," I moan.

"Oh, I'll finish. I'm on top of it, er, you," he groans.

God, he is so talented with his extremities, especially his tongue. Before Eric, I had never really done this sort of thing. I guess Bill was either too intimidated to try it. But I'm convinced that even if I had experience in this area, Eric would still reign supreme.

To get us back into the moment, I reach down and run my fingers through his hair, indirectly guiding him to focus on the correct spot.

"There's my little sex kitten. Just for that, you are on top." And just like that, he flips us, so that now I'm straddling him.

"But you weren't done!" I whine. In response, Eric grabs my hips, slamming me down hard onto him.

I throw my head back and moan. And just to make sure we find our release quick, he leans up and grabs one of my nipples between his teeth while simultaneously reaching down to flick my clit.

_Ummm, almost there._

"Today is gonna be the day…" My ring tone fills the room again. "Oh my GOD. Who the hell is calling? Oh, wait. That's the ring tone for when _you_ call me Eric. But how can that be?"

"Quinn," we say in unison. Those fuckers must have taken his phone from him, along with everything else. I bet I won't see any of Gran's stuff either, knowing them. Either Jason will run off with it or they'll pawn it for a keg.

I roll off of Eric to my side. "To be continued, I guess," I growl.

I launch myself off the bed in search of the offending object. I feel like I could crush it with my bare hands, I'm so sexually frustrated right now. And just up tight about everything that has happened in the last eight hours or so.

Three missed calls. All from Eric's cell. No voicemails either. _There's a surprise_.

"What do you think they want? Should I answer it next time or should I just turn it off? Can't they track us by GPS or something from the phone?" I ask nervously, glancing over at Eric.

"I don't think it would be wise to answer. It's obvious that it's them calling. Who else has my cell? And the police could subpoena your service provider to get the tracking information, but you'd have to be wanted for something…"

"Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, Eric! You don't think they involved the police do you? I mean, they know about you and they have shit on me!" I'm pacing around in a panic now. I power my phone off and throw it across the room, where it lands safely on my pile of clothes.

"Stop freaking out. Honestly, do you think Quinn and Bill are that dumb…or that smart for any matter? The one we have to worry about is Sandra. Now that bitch is determined. I don't trust her for anything." Now that is scary coming from Eric.

I standing there naked as the day I was born, shaking. Not from being cold, but from nerves. "What should we do? Should we check out and leave?"

"I really need to rest some. My head is fucking killing me. Especially now that you are across the room, taunting me with your fine self," Eric teases, giving his now half-mast erection a couple of meaningful strokes.

I roll my eyes. "I don't know how you can be so calm about all this. I'm a wreck." At least when we were having sex, I had my mind on other things. Maybe that was the point of them calling. To make us get all worked up, so that we'd screw up and come running into a trap or something.

"Can I get you anything for your head?" I ask, unintentionally looking at his gracious plenty. "…I mean for your headache, you perv!" I giggle, laughing at how that sounded.

Eric laughs too and then winces. Apparently he really is in pain. I dash over to his side. "Poor baby," I whisper, smoothing some hair back that has fallen into his face, taking in his busted up head and swollen eye. I feel all sorts of emotions tumbling through me, but mainly guilt and love. I care deeply for this man and I sent him right into a trap, a trap that could have killed him or even both of us.

The events of the day come flooding back to me: Calling Bill to tell him Eric has left me, realizing that I _LOVE_ Eric, rushing to Quinn's only to find Eric beaten and tied up by some lunatic bitch! Then there was the escape to Shreveport. As scary as it was, driving through those back roads so fast, I felt perfectly safe with Eric. And then riding on the back of his bike, with my arms wrapped so tight around his chest and my face buried in his back…it was exhilarating. I wish we could have just kept on riding, right into the sunset, like they do in the movies.

Too bad we couldn't because we were trying to escape from some maniacs, one of which was my former boyfriend and accomplice to my darkest deed.

"We need to figure something out. I don't think we should stick around here too long," I say, still unnerved by the phone calls. Well, who am I kidding. There will be no _we_ – it will be _Eric_ coming up with a plan of action. I am no good at this shit. I'm a barmaid from Bon Temps, LA, not a strategist. I can't even win a game of checkers against Arlene's six year old.

Which makes me wonder. How did Eric manage to get away from all four of them down in Quinn's basement? There was so much noise and yelling going on. It was hard to tell what was happening. For sure, they all got the brunt of Eric's frustration!

It couldn't have been too bad though, because Eric said he saw both Quinn and Bill come out of the house after us. I never saw anyone, especially once we got going on the back roads.

_God, I hope Jason's OK._ _Eric wouldn't have been able to kill them all so quickly, would he?_ _Could he have just said that he saw those guys coming after us, to avoid telling me how he single-handedly murdered four people?_

I glance down at his peaceful form laying still. He has his eyes closed, like a cat enjoying a good scratch behind the ear, while I continue to run my hands through his hair.

He is so beautiful. The 'V' of his stomach is just visible above the thread-bare blankets. His right-arm is bent up over his head, while his left rests on chest with his hand over his heart.

_How could such a gift from god have such a dark, black past?_ _Am I really prepared to take off with him, consequences be damned, without knowing the full extent of who he is and what he is capable of?_

Again, it's the whole trust thing. Can I put faith in a man that very well could be some kind of serial killer, who travels across the country on his Harley, pillaging and victimizing towns and villages as he goes?

"OK Sookie. He is not a modern day Viking," I tell myself. "Calm down."

_I really need to stop watching those reality shows!_ I just need to ask him for more details, and then I can make a final decision. But if I decide _NOT_ to go with him, will he just let me go? I mean, I know a lot of damaging stuff about him at this point. Stuff that could get him sent to jail. Then again, Quinn said Loose Lips Bill pretty much told everyone in that basement how I was responsible for killing my uncle, so I suppose we are on even ground there…

"What _are_ you thinkin' about Sookie? Your stare was so intense; I could feel it with my eyes closed!" Eric drawls in the deep timbre he gets, when he is close to sleep. I love that voice. It sends shivers right down my spine and curves right into my center.

I crawl back up on the bed and snuggle into his side. I place my hand over his and just breathe him in. Something about him, his smell and his demeanor just makes me feel safe and happy. I close my eyes and choose carefully how I to answer him.

"I was just thinking about the choices we have to make. Which road will we choose?" _Which road will I choose? _

"Well, since you rolled over and passed out like a man after our shower, I decided to spend some time making tactical plans," he begins, grabbing my hand and bringing it to his lips. "We shouldn't rush into anything and I think we are safe for the moment. The key to dealing with people like Quinn and the others is to find some leverage to hold over them. You follow so far?"

"No. What do you mean by leverage?" I ask.

"Some knowledge we have about them. Something that we can use to influence the desired outcome we want. What we have are these three or four people, who are really pissed at us and want to find us and possibly do us harm, right? But all we want is to get away…right?" He nervously looks down at me.

I nod in agreement and for him to continue.

He quirks a little smile at my affirmation and squeezes me a little tighter. "Well, let's look at the players then. We have Sandra, who thinks I murdered her sister and Quinn and your little gang, who say you had something to do with your uncle's death?" Eric cocks an eyebrow, asking the question without voicing it.

Again, I nod that I get where he is going with this, but I don't think I have the strength to speak, based on where this conversation is going.

"Well, as far as Sandra is concerned, the leverage we have over her is her weakness. She is so focused on exacting revenge for something she thinks happened, that she has ignored some key facts. Like that the police can only assume what took place at her sister's. But without any proof, theories are just that, theories. I happen to know exactly what happened to her sister and now that I know Sandra is after me, for all the wrong reasons I might add…I can refocus her attention a bit and get her to back off."

"How are you going to do that? What really happened to Debbie?" I ask, more curious than anything. I want to give him a chance to tell his side of the story.

"It's quite an interesting story, one that I really don't have time to go into specifics about. But in short, she _was_ killed...but it was an accident-- one that I happened to witness, without meaning to."

"Oh no! You have to tell me what happened!" I was way too curious now for him to not give me some details!

"Ummm," he looks away thoughtfully, scratching his chin. I assume he is trying to decide what to tell me.

"Well, OK. The medium sized version is this: She had started seeing this new guy, Alcide, who was a friend of Debbie's family. His dad's company did business with her dad's company or something along those lines."

"Anyway, she thought he was cheating on her and she was pissed. It didn't faze her that I was still staying at her place at the time. And that in essence she was the one two-timing, but she didn't see it that way. Apparently she figured we weren't exclusive and knew I was itching to leave town, so she was free to prowl."

"I guess she invited him over while I was gone out and thought confronting him about his indiscretions, by the end of a barrel of a shotgun, was a good idea. She had backed him down off her back porch and they were arguing, when I pulled into the driveway, on my bike. Alcide took the distraction of me pulling in, to try and wrestle the gun away from her, but it accidentally discharged and blew her head clean off."

"Holy shit! That's awful! What did you do?" I shuttered, trying to imagine witnessing such a thing!

"I was so startled that I just froze there for a second, looking from Alcide holding the gun, down to Debbie's now lifeless, headless body and then back up at Alcide. There was a lot of blood, with most of it landing on the steps and all around the ground."

"Alcide knew what I was all about, that I was a drifter and probably wanted by someone, somewhere, so he simply asked me to help him clean it up. He used what _leverage_ he had over me to get out of the mess he inadvertently created_._ In his defense, it _was_ an accident and she _was_ a crazy bitch."

I just sat there with my mouth open, catching flies, as my Gran always said.

"Regardless, I cleaned up the bloody mess outside while he left with her body. Once I was done, I left town and haven't really thought much about it since. I never knew what Alcide did with her or what the outcome was of her death. That's just how I roll," he finished his story with a lop-sided grin and a shrug of his shoulders.

"Wow! That _is _a crazy story!" I say, a little chilled at his nonchalant way of brushing Debbie's murder off.

"But I don't get how this get's _you _leverage over Sandra," I say, questioning his line of thinking.

"Well, since I helped Alcide out, I figure he owes me a little favor in return. I'm not expecting him to admit to the crime or anything, but he can certainly plant enough reasonable doubt into that girls' head, so she'll back off us," he emphasizes the _us_ by waving his finger back and forth between the two of us.

I get a little shiver, thinking about how we really are a unit of two now.

"It sounds simple enough, but how are you going to go about that?" I ask.

"Well, that's where I need your help, little lady. Since you don't look like someone tried to beat the shit out of you, I need you to go to the local Bank of America and withdraw some money. Then, I'll need you to get me a couple of disposal cell phones. I happen to know that Alcide and his father are quite the gamblers. I will simply offer him some cash to get him to agree to help and it will all be done over a couple of well-placed, untraceable calls."

"Huh. Ok, but what do you mean by 'withdrawing money'? I'm not gonna go rob a bank or anything!" I blurt out. He might be OK with things like taking other people's money and running from the law, but I'm certainly not…well, I guess I am-- but I am by no means a bank-robber!

"Ha! Ha! Lover, as much as it makes me hard to envision us as Bonnie and Clyde, I have no such intentions, as asking you to rob a bank. I simply have several accounts at each of the national chains. I'll have you withdrawal funds from one of those accounts to get what we need," he emphasizes his amusement by giving me a lingering kiss that ratchets up my body temperature, easily by 10 degrees.

I reposition myself so I'm laying on top of him and greedily seek out more heat. His kisses are like a moth being drawn to a flame, I just can't stay away from them, even at the risk of being burned. After several minutes of some serious fooling around, Eric interrupts us. "Listen, we have to discuss your situation with Quinn and Bill, and then you'll need to get going on our errands before the bank closes."

"Uugghhh. OK then. What's the deal with Quinn and Bill? What leverage could we possibly have over them?" I ask, nipping at his nipple. I was real curious now as to what Eric could conceivably know about those two that I don't.

"They are the easiest ones, silly," he says, kissing the tip of my nose. "They belong to the Brotherhood. Everyone knows what that involves. Wouldn't the Bon Temps police be interested in apprehending the biggest dope dealin' ring this side of the river?" He searches my eyes, waiting for that to sink in.

"You mean Quinn and Bill have been dealin' drugs this whole time? I knew Quinn liked to party and I knew that was a big part of their little 'gatherings' out in my woods, but I had know idea that they were actually selling the stuff!" I was flabbergasted!

"Well, I'm not sure Quinn and Bill are actually the ones doing the selling, but when I was in their basement, I saw this huge wall of something covered up by canvas sheets. And when I went to town, whooping their asses," he paused for affect, flashing a huge smile. "…some of those sheets came tumblin' down, revealing stacks of marijuana and some 50 gallon drums of what I'm guessing contained meth. I think they were storing drugs at Quinn's and someone else was responsible for the distribution. Still there was enough product there to send both those guys away for a _very_ long time. I'm pretty sure Bill would not be great prison material. And given what little I know about Quinn, I'm not sure he would want to revisit his time there either."

"So we threaten to turn them in for drug possession in exchange for leaving us alone?" I asked, trying to make the puzzle pieces fit.

"Yes. And hopefully whatever it is they have against you is small enough where they'll take that deal and walk away," Eric said thoughtfully.

"So you don't know what it is that they have over me? Quinn told me that Bill let everyone in on it, when they were beating on you," I said suspiciously. Does he just want to hear the truth from me personally or does he not really know?

"Well, I have a pretty good idea what it's all about, but Bill didn't get into specifics. Sandra was the one that connected the dots and made assumptions, but then you came, ringing the doorbell, before anything was confirmed. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I'm neither your priest nor your attorney, so the only thing I can offer you is my undivided attention. I will not judge you either way," Eric said firmly.

I didn't know what to tell him. I have never actually told anyone about what happened that night. Since Bill was with me, he was the one that all too willingly, divulged all the details. I tried to just block that night from my mind, like it never happened.

_I guess I have my own dark, black past, just like Eric._ We are way more alike than I ever stopped to realize. Maybe I should take a page out of his book and tell him the unreserved truth. It might feel better if I just told one person. I don't need absolution. I feel I was justified in my deed. But what I do need is for someone else to understand and accept it.

I take a deep breath and begin my tale. I tell him all about my uncle and the history he had. I explain that I couldn't seem to let my pain and betrayal go without knowing he had suffered some consequence for his actions. I relayed how Bill and Tara were the only ones who knew about what he did to me, other than my family. And how even though Bill is a tool now, at the time, he was wonderfully supportive and willing to go along with anything I planned, just to make sure I was safe.

I finished by telling him exactly how me and Bill went to my uncle's house that night, with every intention of killing him and making it look like a burglary gone bad. I explained how we did it and how we got away with it. It felt so uplifting to actually get it out in the open. I literally felt a weight lift off my chest when I was finished. And I was proud that I only shed a few tears in the process. I didn't want to give Uncle Bartlett any more power over me, by breaking down completely, especially when we still had important things to do.

Eric's only response was a nod of understanding and saying, "I'm glad you did it, because if I had known the son-of-a-bitch, I would have done a lot worse to him." He rubbed his hands up and down my back in a soothing way and kissed me on the forehead.

He didn't say anymore after that and we continued on making plans about how we were going to rid ourselves of Sandra, Quinn and Bill. We mutually agreed that Jason was the least of our worries, being that he was my brother and all. Eric said Jason seemed surprised about what Bill had revealed, so I doubted he had any knowledge of Quinn's blackmailing me. I think that would piss him off more than anything. He wasn't the best brother in the world, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want to see me hurt by anyone or to go to prison.

It was late in the afternoon by the time I got dressed and made it out of our motel. Eric gave me a piece of paper with account information and how much to withdrawal. He also gave instructions on what type of cell phones to buy, so we could make the necessary calls.

Everything went smooth at the bank, other than I was surprised by the amount of money he asked me to withdraw. The receipt they gave me showed that there was over twice that amount still left over in the account. _Apparently conning people paid off big._ Either that or there was more to Eric than what he's shared with me, thus far. I was determined not to focus on that stuff right now though. We had a plan to stick to and it didn't involve me second guessing everything he did. Although, a tiny part of me was convinced that everything he did do, he did for himself and no one else. He was 'numero uno' after all.

Once I found the correct cell phones and got service established, I gave him a call. We had decided I should check in, before heading back, just in case something or someone had come up. I was surprised when he told me that whoever was calling me earlier, from Eric's phone, had continued to call every hour. They would call three times in a row, but never leave a message. And then they'd call again exactly an hour later. Neither of us could figure out what that was about, but other than that, there was no news. _No news is definitely good news._

He gave me tips on how to make my way back to the motel without being followed, just in case someone like Sandra had caught our trail. It was actually kind of fun, playing this cloak-n-dagger stuff and I could easily see how addicting this lifestyle could become, especially for an adrenaline junky. It wasn't the prize you got at the end, but the thrill of the chase.

When I made it back to the motel, apparently without being followed, Eric made the necessary phone calls. He reached Alcide on the first try and surprisingly he agreed to help get Sandra off our backs. In exchange for paying off a debt he actually had here in Shreveport, at one of the riverboat casinos, he would make up some story about remembering seeing Debbie out the night she was killed. I don't know if anyone would buy it, but the fact that he had a debt here locally, sure was convenient. It was almost as if Eric had known that from the start. I guess he is just that good of a strategist.

The harder part was getting a hold of Quinn and Bill without also catching the attention of Sandra. I actually placed the phone call to Bill. Since he was my former boyfriend, I always found it easy to reason with him and talk to him about things. Eric had made me practice what to say to him before I called, so that I wouldn't be swayed into giving out too much information regarding our whereabouts….just in case.

I convinced him to meet us at the same casino where we needed to make payment for Alcide. That's when we would make our deal with them and hopefully be free to move on with our lives.

After all the arrangements were made, we had some time to kill until our meeting at the casino later that night. Hummm…I wonder what we could do to pass the time!

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A/N: So if you had some time to kill with the Viking, what would you do? LOL. Let me know what you think about this chapter. Up next: Leverage at its best!


	7. It's My Life

**A/N:** I'd like to express my gratitude to everyone following along with my little ditty. This has been a really gratifying process. *hugs*

**Disclaimer:** _See _**first** chapter. Un-beta'd so I own _all _mistakes.

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_Is it possible to have so much sex, your dick falls off?_ I lay there, stretched out on my back, looking up at the water-stained ceiling considering just that, while Sookie takes a minute to freshen up in the bathroom.

It seemed like a minute ago, she had just returned from the errands I sent her on. Now, it's three hours later and I really should be getting up to dress for our big meetings. Except that I can't seem to feel anything from the waist down, other than another giant erection. What is it about this girl that makes me non-stop, incredibly hard?

Just the thought of her in the next room, probably running a wet wash cloth over her perfect breast, down to her flat stomach, then reaching in between her legs, rubbing herself…oh to be the soap or the wash cloth! _God I need to stop_.

I think I understand those warnings on TV now. You know the ones advertising medication for erectile dysfunction? They warn the user (usually an old man, ha!) that if you have an erection lasting longer than four hours, to seek immediate medical attention. I always thought that if I had a woody for four hours, I'd be inviting as many chicks over to my place as I could find and go to town. But now, I'm not so sure! When I sit up, I feel light-headed and the only thing I want moving right now is my hard-on sliding in and out of her tight, wetness. _And I haven't even taken one of those damn pills!_

I place my arms down by my sides and try to push myself up into a sitting position and it takes all the strength I can muster, just to do that small movement. I'm trying to think of anything other than Sookie right now. I need to focus on what will be happening once we get to that casino. I also need to consider where we will go, if everything goes according to plan.

Planning has always been a good distraction and that is what I need right now to get this raging boner to go away.

I start to run through things in my mind. First, we need to locate the guy Alcide has an unpaid account with. That shouldn't be too hard. Then we need to meet up with Quinn and Bill. The plan there is to make it abundantly clear that if they even think about trying to track us down or even go to the police about what they know, we will just place an anonymous phone call to the Bon Temps police department regarding some contraband being stored in a local homeowner's basement. What I didn't tell Sookie is, that I will also place some calls to some brotherhood members I have come in contact with over the years and let them know that Quinn is a rat.

No brotherhood likes a member who can't keep their mouth shut about the inner-workings of their organization. I'll make it look like Quinn was the one who turned over the drugs and let the law and the brotherhood deal out the appropriate punishment.

There, all that mental stimulation seems to have done the trick in willing down my erection. I hear the creak of the bathroom door opening and in walks Sookie, with nothing on but a towel wrapped around her head.

Ugghh. All that effort immediately goes down the drain and out comes little Eric to play again. _I can't go out in public with this stuffed in my pants. I'll look like I'm smuggling a sawed-off shot gun down there. Not to mention how uncomfortable it will be._

Either I'm going to have to work this one off on my own or maybe I can get Sookie to give me a little 'good-luck' head before we leave for our awaiting destiny.

"Sookie, either put some damn clothes on, quickly, or come here and show me who your daddy is," I leer at her.

She licks her lips unconsciously and walks over towards the bed. She reaches up to take the towel off of her hair, allowing her wet locks to flow down, around her shoulders.

"What's that baby? You need some help with that?" she drawls, with a smirk playing at her lips. She kneels down on the bed and reaches over, putting her small, warm hand on my own, which is gripping my stiffy in hopes of choking the life from it…anything to make it go away!

All I can say is that she is very talented with that little mouth of hers. She's pretty good with her tongue too.

Finally, one satisfied hummer and several minutes later, I'm able to get up, take a quick shower and get dressed.

"Have you checked your cell phone to see if you've gotten any more of the calls?" I asked her, as I'm sliding on my lucky biker boots (steel toed is the key).

"No, let me see," she responds, sashaying over to beside table, to check. "Yeah, as a matter of fact, it says three missed calls. I'm guessing one every hour like before. That is so weird," she trails off.

She stands there, one hand on her hip and the other with the cell phone still in it, looking out into space, as if she is deep in thought or trying to recall something.

"You know, when we were kids, me and Jason used to have a signaling system for when he brought girls home. He lived with me and Gran until he was 18, but he was bedding women way before that," she says, shaking her head at the memory.

"…So, we came up with a system, in case Gran came home before he had his latest conquest in and out of the house. I had to knock six times on the wood floor in my bedroom, in a particular order, and then wait 10 seconds before repeating. It was some stupid scheme he came up with after watching some spy movie. If he heard that from his room next door, then he knew it was time to end things and get the girl out. This pattern kind of reminds me of that. You don't suppose its Jason trying to call me, do you?" she asks, with worry written plainly across her face.

"I suppose it's possible. What would he be calling you for, though? It's not like you are close, right? He certainly wasn't doing anything to stick up for you when Sandra was arguing with you. Maybe she has him calling for her, you know. It's probably some kind of trap."

"Yeah, maybe your right. Besides, we'll be at the casino in a few minutes and we'll know what's going down once we get there, right?" she asks, nervously. She puts the cell phone in her pocket and heads for the door. "You ready to get out of here?"

"I'm always ready, lover," I say, walking over to her and putting my arm around her waist. I bring her into my side and kiss her temple, to ease some of her tension. "Let's hit it." I filed away that little piece of information about her brother, to be considered later.

We located my bike, in the parking garage where we had left it, early this morning. It hadn't appeared to be messed with. Luckily Quinn or Bill hadn't spotted the GPS mounted on the dash of my Harley, so I was still able to easily navigate to unknown destinations. It was also one less thing I had to replace, no thanks to their own sense of entitlement.

I plugged in the address on the little touch screen and off we went.

Sam's Town, the casino where Alcide's marker was held, was just south of us. Really, only about a 10 minute ride from where we were staying, right off the Parkway and along the Red River.

We were surprised to find that there was actually a huge hotel, complete with several restaurants and parking garage, situated on the land side, while the casino itself was just a huge, stationary riverboat. No doubt this design was done to some how get around the legalization of gambling in the area.

After parking the bike in an inconspicuous spot, but also near the closest exit, we made our way across the platform that connected the boat to the land.

I was taking a cursory glance around the boat itself when I thought I saw a shadow or shadows, lurking around the stairwell just below the plank we were crossing. Just like any other riverboat, this one had four levels with stairs connecting each one. Then there was a balcony of sorts that wrapped around the boat so that you could circle the entire thing, if you wanted. It was the perfect spot for someone to hideout and prey on unsuspecting gamblers leaving the casino a little too tipsy. And I didn't see any visible security around either. I added that knowledge to my little brain bank.

Once inside the boat, it looked just like any other casino floor. There were plenty of slot machines, card tables and area's sectioned off for high-roller gambling and a VIP area. We were to meet Alcide's contact in the VIP Lounge.

Sookie came up along side me, grabbed a hold of my right hand and squeezed. "Do you know what the guy looks like that we are supposed to meet with?" she asked anxiously.

I could tell she was nervous because her hands were a bit damp from perspiration. "Relax lover. Let's go get a drink at the bar in the VIP lounge. That should calm your nerves a bit."

We slowly made our way across the room, towards the lounge, navigating around the throng of people sitting at their various game of choice. The noise level was getting to me a bit, especially with my head still aching some from Quinn's hit. Hopefully the bar area would be a little more quiet.

We each ordered a drink and sat back looking around. I was trying to absorb as much information I could about exits, side rooms, doorways and the like, just in case; while Sookie was taking in the gambling scene.

"I've never been to a casino before. It's not really what I expected, but at the same time, it's exactly how I pictured it, from watching so many movies about Vegas. It's much noisier than I imagined. But I thought it would smell like smoke and there would be all these scary looking people around. Just looks like regular folk to me. This could be Merlotte's on a Saturday, well with the exception of the slot machines and such," she rambled. I found Sookie liked to prattle on about things when she was nervous.

"Take another sip of your drink lover and try to chill out. I don't know anything about this guy we are supposed to meet, but nervous chicks make men like me even more nervous, especially when the meeting is about money. We don't want to make him suspicious of anything."

I look her straight in the eye, to make sure she is paying attention and understands the seriousness of the situation, "Remember, we are here to payoff Alcide's debt. Then this guy will confirm with Alcide, who in turn is supposed to contact Debbie's family about a 'recovered' memory and get the ball rolling. We only have about 20 minutes until we also meet up with Quinn and Bill and I really need you to be strong for that too, OK?" I ask, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead.

She nods in acceptance and downs a third of her gin and tonic, in one giant gulp. I give her a lop-sided grin and toss back my own glass of Jack.

Just as I turned to face the bar, in order to ask for a refill, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I feel Sookie stiffen next to me and I can see in the reflection of the mirrored glass along the bar, that it is a handsome looking older man. I turn and make eye contact with him. He immediately sticks out his hand and says "Mr. Normand?" Sookie starts to giggle at that. I forgot to tell her, that Alcide and I had agreed not to use real last names for this transaction. I shoot her a look, effectively sobering her up.

I nod to the gentleman and take his hand. "I'm Victor. I believe we have some business to discuss regarding a mutual friend?" He nods to the bartender who walks to the other end of the bar, pretending to need to inventory wine glasses or something, while Victor asks us to leave our drinks and follow him.

I'm not too keen on leaving a public area with someone I don't know and definitely don't trust, but I don't have much of a choice. I consider leaving Sookie there, so that if I'm not back in a few minutes, she can at least get away, but I'm also nervous about who else could be lurking nearby.

He senses my hesitation and says, "We'll just go sit over in the corner booth where we have a bit more privacy. I assure you, your drinks will be just fine." And he turns and walks in the direction of the area he pointed out.

Once we all get situated, Victor says, "I understand you have something for me?" Well, nothing like getting to the point.

I reach into the inner pocket of my leather jacket and pull out a large envelope stuffed with the cash, in the amount Alcide owes. I set it down on the table and slide it towards Victor, with my large hand covering the majority of it, in case someone is watching.

"Excellent. Excuse me a moment while I go verify the amount and currency. I'll be right back." And in a flash, Victor has disappeared behind a door that looks like it leads into a kitchen area of the lounge.

"God, he's creepy," Sookie remarks. "Do you think he's like in the mafia or somethin'? He looks just like one of the guys out of _Good Fellas_, for Christ sake." This earns a chuckle from me. She is probably more right than she knows. But that's the last thing I'm going to tell her.

"You watch way too much TV, lover. I think I'll help you resolve that later," and kiss her behind her ear. I know that that particular spot seems to be directly linked to her center and she confirms it, when her cheeks turn a lovely shade of red. A simple distraction while we wait.

Only about two minutes pass when Victor returns. "It looks as if everything is order. I'll pass my thanks along to Al when I speak to him later. Good evening to you both," he nods and walks away, this time out towards the casino floor.

"Well that was pretty painless," I quip. I slide out of the booth and hold out my hand for Sookie to take, helping her slide out of the booth as well.

"We still have a few minutes before we meet with Quinn and Bill. Would you like to try your hand at gambling?" I ask. I'd actually like to walk the floor a little, to get a better sense of the layout of the place, again, just in case, but I don't want to alarm Sookie unnecessarily.

"I would like to use the ladies' room first if you don't mind," Sookie responds in her southern belle manner.

"Well then, let's go find you the powder room, Miss," I say, hooking her arm through mine.

We make a semi-circle around the perimeter of the boat and finally locate the restrooms. I told her I would wait for her outside the door area, where all the other men seem to be hovering about, waiting for their companions to exit.

I decide to spend some more time checking out the place. Because of my height, I have a great vantage point from this area to see out over the entire casino floor. To the left, up a quadrant, is the main entrance. The next quadrant, which is directly across from me and the longest part of the floor, is the VIP area we just came from and to my right are the gift shop and snack bar area. I think I catch a glimpse of a familiar face in the snack bar area, but when I step toward that direction, to get a better view, the person is gone, blending into the crowd.

I glance back to the area where I expect to see Sookie coming out from, but there are just the other guys, still milling about, shooting the breeze with each other.

With my back to the restrooms, I stand there with my arms across my chest, trying to look menacing. It's my favorite pose. I like to exude a sense of power and control to those around me. It garners a bit of respect from strangers and let's them know you don't fuck around.

I focus back to the front door, wondering if I'll spot Quinn and Bill enter. I think I see that familiar face again, when I feel a pair of warm hands slide up under my jacket and wrap around my waist. I turn in anticipation of finding Sookie standing there and prepare to plant one on her, but instead I find Sandra standing there with a smug smile on her face. _SHIT!_

"_Get _your filthy hands off of me!" I hiss, while grabbing hold of her arms and wrenching her away from me.

She stands back, placing her hands on her hips, "What, no hello kiss?" throwing her head back in a cackle. Just then I see Sookie coming out of the bathroom, but before I can warn her, Jason comes out of nowhere and puts one arm around her mid-section and the other around her mouth. He turns quickly dragging her down the hall towards a door off to the left side of the hallway.

I look back down at Sandra, narrowing my eyes and say, "OK. I'll play. What do you want?"

"Well, your darling little lover, that's all. I thought the best revenge would be to take something from you that you held dear, just as you did to me. At first I thought that might be your looks and what possessions you had with you, but when you two went off together, I realized I had a much better prize."

I grab her arm and tow her down the same hallway I just saw Jason take Sookie. I push her up against the wall and get right in her face. Waving my finger in front of her eyes, I say, "You harm a hair on her head and I'll make you wish for death."

"Where is she anyway? In the ladies' room? And you were waiting out here for her, like a good doggy? How sweet. I really didn't peg you for the whipped type, but I guess whatever works," Sandra says, stepping away from the wall and looking towards the bathroom doors.

Wait a minute…she doesn't know where Sookie is? So, does that mean Jason is acting of his own accord or is he possibly working with Quinn and Bill? _Shit. Shit. Shit._

I run my hands through my hair trying to think fast. I decide the best thing to do is play along with her for the time being. "Don't you dare go in there! I'm warning you," but Sandra turns and bolts through the doors.

I turn the opposite way and run towards the exit I saw Jason and Sookie go through. I bound through the door and realize it leads to the outside balcony of the boat. I look to either side of me, but I can't tell which direction they could have gone. I'm facing out over the river and directly across from me are the lights to Bossier City. _Fuck._

I close my eyes for a second and take a deep breath. It clears my thoughts enough that I feel a strong pull to turn left, which I think will bring me around to the main entrance. I take huge strides covering the distance much quicker than an average man and reach the front in mere seconds. There is a steady stream of people coming into the casino, but I don't see anyone _leaving_ or resembling Sookie or Jason. _Son of a bitch!_

I decide to head back across the platform to the main land. If I were going to kidnap someone, I wouldn't stay on a boat, but I might move into the hotel where there are many more places to hide. Or maybe I would have a car waiting, where I would whisk her away, never to be seen again. _F-U-C-K!_ I _cannot _lose her!

I make it to the hotel entrance that connects everything together and look around. It's an empty lobby. I bolt out the opposite door that leads into the parking lot. I look around frantically to see if I notice any cars leaving.

I hear the sound of screeching tires on pavement and run towards the sound. I catch a glimpse of a black pickup truck with turquoise pin-striping on the side squealing out of the parking lot. That has to be them!

I run to my bike and take off in pursuit. I can see them in the distance heading south on the Parkway. I can tell from my GPS that there are several major interstates that connect into this parkway, coming up. And the airport is off to the west.

Could they be bringing her to the airport? Then again, I-49 ends in New Orleans, but that looks like at least 300 miles away. Surely they know I would catch up with them sooner or later, if they were headed that way.

I'm moving the chess pieces around in my head, trying to anticipate their next move. I'm so pissed because both of us had counted Jason out of the equation. Again, this woman has clouded my usual spot-on judgment and now I could lose her! There are not enough curse words in my vocabulary to express the outrage I am feeling.

I continue to pursue them for several more miles, when I swear I hear a cell phone ringing. I pat around in my pockets looking for one of the disposable's I had Sookie buy. I locate one that I had stuck in a front zipper pocket and find it is definitely ringing.

I glance down at it and of course I realize I don't have caller-id. It's a cheap throw-away. I debate on whether to answer it but only two people have this number, Alcide and Sookie. I decide to go for it. I slow down some, but not enough so that I don't lose sight of the truck in front of me.

"Hello?" I growl.

"Eric! Eric! It's me Sookie! I'm OK. My brother has me and we're headed outside of Shreveport. South I think, on the Parkway."

I don't want her to know just yet that I'm following them, just in case this is some kind of trick. She wouldn't have been in on this the whole time, would she? Thinking back to how this day started out with her setting a trap for me, has me pause for a second.

"What happened Sookie? Why does your brother have you? I'm out on my bike now looking for you…Can I meet you somewhere?" I ask, playing dumb.

"Jason overheard Sandra and the others planning on kidnapping me and he decided he would make his own plan to try and rescue me. That was him trying to call my cell. Quinn gave him all your stuff they recovered, so that he could collect what was Gran's and he came across your cell. He remember how we had that signal system I told you about earlier and tried to get in touch with us before it was too late." She was rushing through her explanation and was nearly out of breath.

I guess everything she says is plausible, but I'm still a bit apprehensive. I didn't survive this long in life to be duped twice…in one day, by the same person!

"So, now we are headed towards the Shreveport airport and I'm hoping you'll meet us there. From that point, you and I can take off and get out of this place. It's our best shot, Eric. We need to put some distance between these guys and us. I mean, that is if you'll have me. If you'd rather just take off on your own than I understand," she says quietly.

Does she really not understand the power she has over me? Even with my doubts about her trying to trap me again, I can't help but tell her yes-- that I will meet them there. I'll just take my chances with what I find when I get there. I cannot willingly leave her, after everything we've been through today.

"Eric, Jason wants me to tell you to make sure you have plenty of gas and money, because he is not sure if they suspect him in helping or not. And he wants to make sure we are far enough out of town before they catch on. Can you do that, baby?"

The size of my Harley's gas tank is not even half the size of a car's, but it should get us to the Texas border, if it's full. From there we can decide whether to venture into the Dallas area or head up into Oklahoma.

I decide to follow them as close to the airport as I can, waiting until the last possible mile to stop off for gas. I find it hard to believe they didn't see me following them. It concerns me that if they couldn't see that, than what kind of trail did Jason leave behind him.

I fill up my tank, grab some snacks and throw them in one of the saddlebags and head towards the airport. I'm hoping she'll call me to let me know whereabouts they are, or at least hang out in an obvious spot so that I can locate them. I don't want to waste any time driving around looking for them.

But once I turn in, off the highway, I realize the airport just has one big loop of a road circling back out to I-20. There's a huge parking lot in the middle, so they are either in the parking lot or somewhere pulled off on the perimeter of the circle.

I slowly make my way around and as I'm approaching the terminal areas, I see a small parking lot off to the right, where people can apparently wait for incoming planes to land. I decide to pull in there real quick and see if I can spot the truck.

I immediately notice a truck flash its light on and off and head towards it. There is an empty spot next to the passenger side, so that's where I roll in. As soon as I'm stopped, the door opens and Sookie fly's out and into my lap. She kisses me for all she's worth and I can feel her pulse racing through her neck as I wrap my arms around her. She is either nervous or excited or both, but I fear she'll hyperventilate if she doesn't calm down.

Our kissing gets me kind of lost in the moment, just enjoying our reunion and I don't notice her brother standing there off to the side. He politely clears his throat to get our attention.

"Oh Jason, sorry," she says. "Eric, this is Jason, my brother. Jason, this is Eric. I know you guys kind of met already, but I'd really like to forget that ever happened. So let's just pretend it didn't and shake hands."

Jason lets out a huff and then puts his hand out for me to shake. I take it and give him a firm shake, while looking him directly in the eye. I want to make clear who is the dominate here.

"Well Eric, as cozy as this all seems, I think I better be gettin' on back to Bon Temps, just in case. You all set with everything you need?" Jason asks. I nod in affirmation.

"Sis, are you sure about this?" he looks at her almost pleadingly, with his eyebrows raised high up.

"As sure as I am about anything, Jason. I mean, it's not like Bon Temps has a lot to offer people like me. And I don't think I could leave Eric now, even if my life depended on it," she smiles and squeezes me into a tight hug.

"Well, alrighty then. Love ya, sis. And you," Jason points to me, "…if you hurt her and I have to come find you, it won't be pretty now, ya hear?" giving me a firm threat and as menacing look as he can muster. He is actually a really good lookin' guy. Almost pretty. I can see where the chicks would dig him.

"I promise to guard Sookie with my life and take the best care of her as I can," I say and kiss her on the forehead.

"Don't call me, unless you really, really need somethin'. I'll miss you sis, but I think you're right. There's nothin' for you here any more. Go, live your life." And with that he turned around, hopped in his truck and sped off.

"Well, are you ready to get going?" I ask Sookie, still straddling my lap in an embrace.

She snuggles in closer to me, kisses my chest and says, "I just want to live while I'm alive, you know? I'm sick of just doin' what's safe and easy. And really, I had no life until you came along," she says matter-of-factly. Then she shrugs, swings her body around me, so that now she is clinging to my back.

And we ride….

With the night on our side…We were wanted, dead or alive.

* * *

**A/N:** **So, I really want to write at least a short sequel with them being on the run and getting into trouble along the way. :) I also have thought of a prequel that gets into why Eric is the way he is. If you are interested, add me to your author alerts, or leave me a review or even PM me and let me know if you're in for the ride. I have a semi-outline started. _Thanks_ again for everyone's support.**


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